Disclaimer: Everything in here belongs to J.K. Rowling and Thomas Harris. Let them fight over what's what.

A/N:

Thanks for the reviews guys :)

I'm slowly going to change the use of their names in this chapter. Instead of Mr. and Mrs. Fell, I'll start using Hannibal and Clarice.

Enjoy!

Chapter Two

L'Arroseur Arrosé

Nearly four years had passed since the Fells had woken up early to watch as their neighbours found their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number two on the Fell's front door; it crept into their living-room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Dr. and Mrs. Fell had sat in silence on the couch. No photographs could be seen on the mantelpiece and only the books on the shelves really showed how much time had passed. Four years ago, there had been lots of books of the most known authors and classical works through the ages – but Clarice Fell was no longer a novice reader and the walls held books which were rarely seen in bookstores and which even Doctor Hannibal Fell himself hadn't had time to read yet. The room held no sign of children at all.

Yet, the wish was still there. Clarice Fell had first asked her husband for a baby when the neighbors' small nephew has crawled through the hedge two years ago and proceeded to stick his hands into the lemonade that Dr. Fell had been drinking at the moment. But after two years of trying, they'd finally decided to see an expert in fertility. The news hadn't been good. Not only did Clarice have a bad environment, but Hannibal's seed wasn't very strong to start with and the chances of them having a child together were slim to none; it would be a miracle, as the expert had put it. Hannibal had taken a week off to stay at home with Clarice, who'd taken the news badly.

But life went on.

It wasn't long after the fateful visit to the fertility doctor that Hannibal and Clarice Fell woke to find the front lawn covered in a deep layer of snow. The quietness that could normally be heard a Saturday morning enveloped them as they stayed in bed and enjoyed each other's company. The coldness outside the bed was hardly anything they wanted to deal with.

"Up… Get up, now." Hannibal whispered as he nuzzled his wife's cheek with his nose.

"But I don't want to." She pouted, encircling his neck with her arms.

"Oh, but darling, if we don't clear the pavement and the path to the house from snow, the neighbours will come knocking…" Hannibal smiled as he heard the sigh of irritation from her. "I can already hear Mr. Dursley outside. It won't be long before he sends that wife of his over here."

"Oh God no." Clarice pushed Hannibal away and sat up. "Fine. I'm up, see?"

Hannibal grinned as his wife slipped out of bed and took off her nightdress. He drank in the sight of her as she dressed and it wasn't until she left the room that he decided to join the world of the living.

It was a grey day outside and the clouds were heavy with snow that had yet to fall, but despite that, the residents at Privet Drive were all trying to clear any kind of path that they could find from snow. Hannibal, of course, knew that it was futile as more snow was prone to fall soon, but it was with a smile that he stepped outside with the snow shovel. He nodded at Mr. Dursley from next door and got to work. It would have been preferable if Clarice could have joined him, but it seemed that none of the wives on the street joined in, in which was evidently a male job. Instead Clarice had stayed inside and experimented with the stove in an attempt to warm some milk to make hot chocolate. Hannibal knew he'd probably end up having to save the mixture from turning into something completely tasteless, but he intended to make an attempt at drinking it, if it looked… well, like hot chocolate.

Before Hannibal had cleared even half the part of the pavement that was his, the first snowflake had already landed on his nose. He watched as the first man on the street sighed and trotted inside to his waiting wife. The others soon followed suit and Hannibal could see that it was now socially acceptable to do the same. He was just about to turn to the door, when he heard the sound of children shouting. The door to number four had been opened by Mrs. Dursley, who was ushering out the two boys. She was wearing her usual expression of distaste as she glanced at him with a small nod of greeting. Hannibal knew that he and his wife, despite their attempts to blend in, had been victims of much gossip. They were well liked of course, but when they first arrived at the street, several had looked at them with disapproving eyes. It was looked badly upon, when a man of his age married someone as young as Clarice.

Their dear neighbor, Mrs. Dursley, had been well informed of the street's gossip.

Dr. Fell smiled at Mrs. Dursley and watched as she tried to smile back (something which his wife had pointed out seemed to be physically impossible for the woman) and he was much satisfied with the gesture of toleration that his neighbor was showing by her pitiful attempt of a kind facial gesture.

She stayed outside, watching the boys play, though Hannibal wasn't sure what definition of "play" the boys were following. Mrs. Dursley did nothing as the smaller of the cousins was showed head first into the snow by the bigger boy. Hannibal hesitated as he watched Harry Potter splutter, lifting himself off the ground. His cheeks were red from the cold and snowflakes could be seen in his eyelashes. There was no smile on his face as he turned around to face his cousin again.

Dudley Dursley had formed a snowball in his hands and threw it after Harry, who stepped back in surprise as it hit him squarely in the chest. Another snowball came flying and it sent Harry running.

"Not fair!" Yelled Dudley as Harry slipped out of the garden and down the street towards number two. The bigger cousin chased after him, and Hannibal found himself smiling at the sight of the heavy boy trying to keep up with the much faster Harry. Hannibal stood still as Harry ran into the garden towards him and grabbed his leg, hiding behind it. Dr. Fell placed a hand on the raven haired boy's head and looked at Dudley, who halted as he caught sight of the grown-up.

"Good morning Mr. Dursley."

Dudley stood mouth agape, unable to utter a word as he stared at Hannibal, who was smiling with a mischievous glint in his eyes that disappeared in the instant Mrs. Dursley appeared at her son's side.

"I'm sorry Doctor Fell." Mrs. Dursley emphasized his title as she showed him exactly how much she knew about him.

Oh, but Petunia, he thought, you know nothing at all.

"It's quite all right Mrs. Dursley." He blinked charmingly and he saw the flush of red that appeared in her cheeks. "Boys will be boys."

"Yes…" She barely contained a stammer as she avoided his eyes. "I will just take them from here."

"Oh, it's quite alright." He glanced down at the small boy that was watching him intently. The intelligence shone through his eyes and Hannibal knew that the boy was picking up everything he saw. Harry blinked and Hannibal recognized the near invisibility of the boy's pleading. "I think Clarice has made hot chocolate and I'm sure I promised Harry some one of these days."

Dr. Fell had done no such thing of course and Harry knew that, but the small boy just smiled as he heard the innocent lie.

"Oh, that's too much…" Mrs. Dursley started, but Hannibal had already bent down and scooped up the boy, holding him close to his chest.

"Not at all Mrs. Dursley."

"Well, just bring him home at di…"

"…Before bedtime." Hannibal spoke quickly, cutting off Mrs. Dursley before she could tell him a time.

"By eight then." Mrs. Dursley said, slightly put off by his interruption. Hannibal disliked being rude, but he knew that Clarice would be happy to have the boy for a day. It wasn't as if they'd never had him over before. Besides, Harry wanted to go and Petunia preferred him gone. "Don't give him too much sugar. He won't be able to sleep."

With those words, Mrs. Dursley took her son by the hand and pried him away from number two's front lawn. The heavy boy's pleas to get hot chocolate as well could be heard as they walked away. Hannibal looked at the boy in his arms and he saw the shy smile that tugged at the corners of the boy's lips.

"Come on Harry, let's see if Clarice has anything ready for us, shall we?" The boy was placed on his feet and clutched Hannibal's hand as he nodded. Dr. Fell shook his head. "Tsk tsk Harry, did someone eat your tongue?"

"No sir…"

"Don't sir me." Hannibal started towards the door and he felt the tug in his hand as Harry followed. "Besides, it's doctor."

"Okay Doctor."

"My name is Hannibal, Harry, you can call me that." Hannibal opened the door, shaking his head. The boy always insisted on this small game of formalities. He found it quite intriguing.

"Hannibal Fell, I know that." The boy sent him his first real smile that day.

"That's right Harry." Hannibal praised, smiling at Clarice as she came out of the kitchen. Harry ran forward before Hannibal could take off the boy's shoes and jacket and threw his arms around Clarice's legs.

"Hi Harry." She said, giving him a small hug. Hannibal saw the delight in her eyes at the sight of the boy and he knew that he'd done the right thing.

"Hello Mrs. Fell."

"Her name, Harry, her name…" Hannibal called as he took off his own shoes and jacket before prying the boy away from Clarice to take off his as well.

"Clarice…" Harry smiled at Hannibal, who looked up in surprise from the boy's shoes that he'd been attempting to take off.

"That's right Harry." Hannibal quirked an eyebrow at Clarice who'd covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing as the boy had said her name. He had made an exact imitation of the way Hannibal might speak her name from time to time. Or, if to be correct, it had been an imitation of her accent that could barely be heard anymore. The boy ducked his head, biting his lip as he hid a snort of laughter. Hannibal patted his head affectionately as he took the boy by his hand and showed him into the kitchen. He was surprised as he smelled something that was actually hot chocolate.

"Do you want some Harry?" Clarice asked, placing cups for all of them at the table. The small boy crawled onto one of the chairs and sat, nodding his head.

"Yes please." His eyes were wide as Clarice poured the brown substance into his cup and Hannibal recognized the hunger. His eyes fell on the thin arms and his small frame. Wasn't he eating properly? There was a healthy tender of red in his cheeks, but the dark circles under his eyes told another story. Hannibal had noticed this before of course, but it worried him that the boy still wasn't eating as he should.

"Are you hungry Harry?" He asked, watching the boy carefully. Harry avoided his gaze and put his hands around the cup in front of him without trying to drink it. A moment of silence went past before he opened his mouth to talk.

"Only if you are too…"

The boy's eyes didn't waver from the cup and his whole frame was tense as he waited for a response. He was afraid. Was he afraid of them…or?

"Sure I am, Harry." Hannibal spoke quickly, walking to the cabinet and picking up some white bread. From the corner of his eye, as he cut the bread, he saw the tension leave the boy. He didn't drink anything before they were all seated at the small kitchen table.

"Go ahead Harry." Clarice was smiling. "But be careful, it's hot."

"Thank you." The boy said, finally lifting his cup and putting it to his lips.

Hannibal tried his and was surprised to find the brew quite agreeable. Clarice was watching his reaction and Hannibal nodded.

"It's good."

"Well thank you Hannibal." Clarice blinked as she sipped her drink. She turned her attention to the boy as he spoke.

"It's better than good." A shy smile tugged at the corner of his lips and Clarice laughed.

"See Hannibal, that's a real gentleman."

Dr. Fell nodded, his eyes remaining on Harry, who was sitting beside him. His eyes were wide and the green orbs seemed far too big for his small face. A memory tugged at the corner of his mind; the snow outside and the quiet, thin boy at the table, eating slowly and carefully, without saying a word. He pushed the memory away, shifting his eyes to his wife, who was watching with delight as the boy drank his fill and asked politely for seconds. He was wearing long sleeves; too long, and Hannibal had realized long ago that the Dursleys made Harry wear Dudley's second hand clothes. But Hannibal Fell wasn't really paying attention to the boy's clothes, but more to what he'd find if he slipped up the boy's sleeves.

"How old are you now, Harry?" Hannibal found himself asking.

"I'm five years old." Harry said. "You know that."

Hannibal smiled and patted the boy's head. He learned fast, having already picked up that they never asked stupid questions in this house and Hannibal wondered if he'd ever used that exact sentence with the boy before. Harry was intelligent. Not the same intelligence that he, himself possessed, but the intelligence that he recognized in his wife and only in a select few. It was the intelligence he saw in the countless of kids that came through the emergency room every day with cigarette burns and a broken arm. It was the intelligence of a lesson well learned.

"Come on Harry, put on your jacket." Clarice said as her smile diminished. The boy had gone unusually quiet by the time they had finished eating dinner and it was with a sigh of regret that Hannibal had looked at his watch to find it a quarter to eight.

"Yes, Clarice." Harry said mutely, slipping his arms through the sleeves as Clarice helped him. Hannibal was standing in the doorframe to the sitting room, watching them with his hands clasped behind his back. The boy had his eyes on his toes.

"Do you want me to follow you home, Harry?" Hannibal finally said, having remained quiet since announcing that the boy should go home.

"Only if you want to, Hannibal."

Hannibal took a step forward, crouching down beside Clarice and zipping up Harry's jacket for him. He touched the boy's cheek lightly and smiled. "Of course I do."

Harry didn't smile, just nodded solemnly. "Okay."

"Let's go young man." Hannibal took his hand and opened the door. "Your aunt must be starting to worry."

As they exited the house and the door closed behind them, Hannibal halted. Harry looked up at him with confusion and slight apprehension. Hannibal smiled kindly as he crouched down in front of the boy, but it didn't set him at ease.

"Harry, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

For a moment Harry remained quiet, before giving an unconvincing nod.

"And you know that you're always welcome with me and Clarice. You can always come by the house. You don't need to have a reason. Understood?"

"Yes." The boy murmured.

"Good." Hannibal smiled, getting on his feet. It's was cold outside and he could see his breath misting in the air. He'd better get the boy home. The walk was short and Hannibal knocked on the door to number four much sooner than he'd liked. Mrs. Dursley opened the door quickly, and Hannibal saw several emotions pass through her eyes in a split second. The one he latched onto was fear, but as she opened her mouth to greet him, there was more relief than anything else.

"Dr. Fell." She breathed.

"Good evening Mrs. Dursley." He glanced down at the boy who was still holding his hand without making a move to step inside. "I brought Harry. Sorry we are late. You know women. Clarice didn't want to send him home hungry."

It wasn't a complete lie. Clarice had been feeding the boy an awful lot, though it had been Hannibal who had prepared the meals. Mrs. Dursley tried to smile as she ushered the boy inside and told him to take off his clothes and get ready for bed.

"Thank you Dr. Fell. It was nice of you to look after him for a day."

"It was quite a pleasure. Harry is a very well-mannered young man."

Mrs. Dursley just nodded.

"I'll be on my way then." Hannibal turned to Harry, who was unlacing his shoes. "I hope to see you soon Harry. Sleep well."

"Good night Mr. Fell." There was no smile and Hannibal felt his jaw clench. A boy shouldn't be scared to go home. It was wrong.

When Hannibal left the house, he vaguely noticed that Mr. Dursley's car was gone and he went home with a heavy heart.

It was much later that night, when the late evening news were long over and the silence filled the streets of Surrey that Hannibal Fell woke with a start. Something had set off every single alarm bell in his mind and the calm man that was known as Dr. Fell by his colleagues was gone. In his stead resided Doctor Hannibal Lecter.

Clarice stirred beside him and he slipped out of bed silently, crossing the room to the window. Dr. Lecter breathed slowly through his teeth as he watched the scene in number four's garden.

The moonlight reflected on the untouched layer of snow that was covering Privet Drive and every object stood in great contrast to the white landscape. A thumb could be heard as a small body hit the snow hard in the back garden of number four Privet Drive. Hannibal's pulse made a jump before returning to normal as he recognized the thin frame of little Harry Potter. Behind him, he heard his wife turn in the bed. A shout could be heard from outside as Vernon Dursley joined his nephew in the snow, walking out of the back door like a bull chasing a moving object. He grabbed the small boy and shook him so hard that it looked like Harry's neck might snap at any moment.

"Hannibal?" His wife's voice penetrated his thoughts and when he turned around to face her, her eyes went wide. His face was completely calm and his eyes shone through the darkness, but no emotions showed in them as he went past the bed and left the bedroom, walking as fast as he could without breaking into a run. Behind him, Clarice called out and he heard her footsteps as she jumped out of bed to follow him. Hannibal rushed down the stairs and heard his wife halt as she stopped by the window and saw the scene outside. She cursed loudly and started running, catching up with him as he walked out into the snow bare feet. Clarice took his arm, trying to hold him back, but he shook her off.

"Hannibal, please stop! Please don't do this. You know what will happen…" Her plead went unheard as he strode through the front garden of number four. Clarice fell quiet, trying to keep up as they went around the house to the back yard. Her breath was coming out fast through her lips, leaving a trail of mist behind them, while Hannibal was breathing as evenly as if he was just going to have a friendly chat with neighbor. Only his attire of boxers and nightshirt told a different story. Clarice had at least had the sense to wear her night slippers.

The couple halted as the sight in the backyard met their eyes. Harry was standing completely still, facing his uncle, who was holding something in his hands. Hannibal was mildly surprised that the water hose still worked despite the frost weather, but evidently it did as Mr. Dursley had it on full force, pointing it at his nephew, whose oversized pajamas was absolutely drenched. Harry saw them as they came around the corner. He was slowly but surely starting to shake and Hannibal knew that the water had only just been turned on. His uncle was muttering under his breath and as Dr. Lecter breathed in through his nose, the stench of alcohol and sweat met him.

Vernon Dursley didn't see it coming.

Hannibal Lecter strode forward in three steps, lifting up his knee as he came in front of the fat man and pushing it up into his stomach with such a force that he bent forward. Hannibal placed his hands around the man's neck, pushing down and letting him fall over his still lifted knee. Mr. Dursley's own weight and the velocity of his fall sent him through the air. He landed on his back in front of Harry, lying completely immobile.

Behind him, Clarice rushed forward, lifting up the small boy into her arms. Harry was shaking violently now and she had trouble holding on to him.

"Oh god." She whispered, looking Hannibal in the eyes. He lowered his gaze to the unconscious form of Vernon Dursley and sighed. This was… not good. Clarice swallowed hard and Hannibal went forth, placing his arms around her. Harry was between them and he stepped back as he felt how cold he was.

"Get him inside… dry him. Get him some new clothes and bring him out here with a blanket, a bottle of our cheapest wine, a knife and two pairs of gloves." Hannibal formed the plan in his head as he spoke, watching as Clarice nodded and hurried away with the boy. Hannibal looked after them. Harry had his chin on Clarice's shoulder and his wide eyes were locked with his until Clarice carried him around the corner.

The lights of number four were turned off and Hannibal detected no sign of anyone being awake. He had to be sure of course, so he stepped through the open back door. He kept his hands close to his body, making sure he left no prints. The house was quiet. He walked through the living room into the hallway. He saw the door to cupboard was open and he peered inside. What met his eyes made him grit his teeth in anger. A small bed had been placed inside and Hannibal recognized the shirt Harry had been wearing that day laying on the floor. They made him live in there? He looked at the doorframe and saw the lock on the inside of the door, where Harry could lock it. It had been ripped out of its place. Someone had forced the door open.

Hannibal walked up the stairs, holding his breath as he peered into the bedrooms. Mrs. Dursley was in her bed, sleeping undisturbed and her son was doing the same. Everything was fine. No one had seen them.

Clarice walked into view as he stepped out of the house, closing the door behind him. She was carrying Harry, who was resting his head on her shoulder with closed eyes. She had two plastic bags in her other hand.

"I've got your clothes and your shoes in this one." She lifted one of the bags and Hannibal went forward. He'd been ignoring the cold, but he could very much feel it as his toes started to become numb. He dressed as quickly as he could while giving instructions.

"Get the car and put Harry in the backseat. Just let him sleep. It's better that way." At those words Clarice's eyes went wide.

"What are you going to do?" She sounded shocked and Hannibal realized exactly what she was thinking.

"Do you honestly think I could hurt the boy?" He didn't wait for an answer. "No, Vernon Dursley never came home today, okay?"

Clarice bit her lip. She remained quiet for a moment before nodding and leaving the garden with the boy without a word. Hannibal set to work. By the time he was done, there was no sign that they had ever been there… except for the unconscious form of Harry's uncle. As the man started snoring, Hannibal realized that he was no longer unconscious and only sleeping. The idea of leaving him there and let him die of the cold crossed his mind, but then again; if he survived, then what? It was much better to get rid of him once and for all.

When his wife came back, Hannibal started dragging Mr. Dursley to his car while Clarice swept the snow, covering the tracks. They had promised more snow tonight, right? Hannibal surely hoped so.

Dr. Lecter found the keys to the Dursley's car in the fat man's pocket and with the help of Clarice; they managed to get him into the passenger seat.

"Follow me in the car." Hannibal dried the thin layer of sweat off from his forehead with the sleeve of his jacket. "Oh, and give me the gloves. You should wear yours as well."

It took nearly an hour for them to reach the right place. Hannibal drove the Dursley's car carefully through the snow covered streets and kept an eye on the snoring man next to him. Clarice was close behind them and she followed his every turn and stopped when he did.

"What are we doing here?" She asked as she stepped out of the car. Her voice was low and Hannibal peered into the car to see the sleeping form of Harry on the backseat. He could feel her hand on his arm as she leaned in beside him. "He's been asleep since we started driving."

"Good. As to what we're doing here… just wait."

Hannibal looked into the darkness. They had been following a forest road for ten minutes and they were now in the middle of nowhere. The forest was dark and thick and not a sound could be heard. They had stopped in a clearing and snow stretched out in front of them. But views could be treacherous and Hannibal knew exactly what was underneath it.

He went to the car and took the knife that Clarice had brought. Vernon Dursley opened his eyes groggily as Dr. Lecter poked him hard in the side with the shaft.

"Get out Mr. Dursley."

"Huh?"

"I said; Get out Mr. Dursley." Hannibal's voice was firm as he lifted the knife, letting the light from the interior of the car play against the metal. The man's eyes went wide as he stumbled out, landing on his knees. Hannibal stepped back, signaling to Clarice that she should do the same.

"Get the wine dear."

Clarice took out a bottle of red wine that they'd had in the house for two years now. Hannibal refused to drink it and Clarice had long since refined her tastes. It had been bought for Clarice when Hannibal was teaching her how to see the difference between quality wine and cheap wine. This bottle had been in the low end. When she placed it in his hand, he stepped forward and pressed the knife to Mr. Dursley's throat.

"Drink up." His words were just a low whisper, but the man heard him very well. Mr. Dursley' hands were shaking as he uncorked it and it dribbled down his chin as he started drinking it in big gulps. Hannibal watched his eyes. They were round with fear and it smelled good. It was really good. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips and Hannibal finally gave up, letting his face split into a full blown grin. "We are doing good Mr. Dursley."

Mr. Dursley grunted in response and wine spurted out of his nose, leaving a trail of red down his shirt. Hannibal laughed. He glanced back at his wife to see if she was enjoying this as much as him, but her expression was grim and as their eyes met, he saw the apprehension. His mouth fell open as if he wanted to say something, but he quickly closed it again and turned his head to Mr. Dursley. Hannibal felt anger fill him. He'd long since stopped enjoying seeing fear in his wife's eyes and this was not what he wanted.

"Get on with it Mr. Dursley, we don't have all night!" Hannibal sneered as his anger grew. The big man was drinking as fast as he could now and the bottle was emptying rapidly. Most of the wine fell to the snow and a beautiful pattern of red was emerging. Hannibal licked his lips as he felt an urge emerge. It wasn't just any urge, it was the urge. He glanced back at his wife and back at Mr. Dursley. He was in control. He didn't have to do this.

"Walk." Hannibal pointed at the far end of the clearing where the snow was completely untouched and Mr. Dursley started stumbling in that direction. The man could hardly walk on his feet and a burp could be heard as he made his way across the clearing. "Stop!"

Vernon Dursley did as he bid and turned around to look at them. There was no fear in his eyes anymore as he could hardly hold them open. The man was smacking his lips in confusion and his head was nearly touching his shoulder in an unsuccessful attempt to hold it up. Hannibal Lecter didn't feel pity but his wife was trying hard not to say anything to stop the events. Their eyes met and Hannibal smiled reassuringly.

"What's going on?" Slurred the voice of Vernon Dursley and Hannibal turned his attention back to the confused man in the snow.

"What's going on is that we're playing a little game Mr. Dursley."

"A game?" The fat man sounded almost happy.

"Yeeees." Hannibal said through his teeth. "The same game you were playing with you nephew earlier."

"Huh?"

"Jump."

Vernon Dursley did as he was bid, bending his knees and setting off from the ground. A deep, creaking sound could be heard and when he landed on his legs again, Mr. Dursley crashed through the ice.

One moment he was there, the next he was gone in a spray of dark water and flying pieces of ice.

An arm could be seen grasping for the sky, a shout and a gurgle and then he was gone.

Vernon Dursley was no more.

Silence ensued.

Hannibal breathed in slowly, enjoying the smell of fresh air that followed the absence of the fat lump. He closed his eyes and didn't open them till he felt his wife's hand touching his shoulder. He turned around slowly and placed his hands on her arms, drawing her closer. Their foreheads touched and he opened his eyes with a blink.

Clarice's blue eyes were staring into his, searching for something. He knew exactly what it was. Hannibal was hungry, but he stayed still, keeping his face completely void of any emotions. Clarice avoided his gaze and Hannibal noticed the tears that threatened to fall but didn't. He touched her face lightly and drew her into a hug, kissing the top of her head.

"Are we staying in town?"

"Yes, they will say it was suicide. A bit inventive, but suicide." Hannibal lifted her chin and kissed her lips softly. "The police won't even look into it."

Clarice nodded and Hannibal put his lips to hers again, holding her close and feeling her body flush against his. He knew she thought this was wrong, but he couldn't help himself as he kissed her lips, her neck and everywhere he could reach that wasn't covered by her winter jacket. She pushed hard against his chest and he stepped back, feeling his stomach clench painfully in rejection.

"We…" She avoided his eyes as she bit her lip. "What are we going to do about Harry?"

"We bring him home. He was never gone."

Hannibal walked past Clarice and opened the backseat to their car. Harry was sleeping under a blanket. His hand was clutched around his glasses and his dark hair was sticking into every direction. Hannibal leaned down and lifted the boy up into his arms and seated himself on the backseat. Harry stirred and opened his eyes as Hannibal closed the door. Clarice got into the front seat without a word and started the car. Harry looked around with confusion, taking in the tense silence.

"Hi Harry." Hannibal said. "How are you feeling?"

Harry blinked. His green eyes filled up with hurt and confusion as he remembered what had happened.

"Fine."

Dr. Lecter smiled kindly, though he could only feel anger as he looked into the green eyes of the boy. He wished he could have done more… If only he could have dealt with Vernon Dursley the way he liked. Hannibal glanced at his wife behind the wheel. But he couldn't. There was simply too much to lose now and things had changed since he committed his so called crimes.

"No one can hurt you now, Harry."

"Where's uncle Vernon?" It was an innocent question and Hannibal wondered if the boy deep down knew the answer.

"He went for a trip and he isn't coming back."

Harry nodded silently, staring at Clarice as she drove.

"If anyone asks; the police, Dudley or aunt Petunia, then you were sleeping all night and you never even heard if uncle Vernon came home, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

"You're safe now, Harry."

A small smile tugged at the corner of the boy's lips and Hannibal patted his head.

"No one will ever hurt you again."

A/N:

This is a pretty long chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it :)

Uncle Vernon had to go, sorry. I don't hope he had too many fans out there…

The title of this chapter comes from the first fiction film made by the Lumiere brothers in 1895. The title translates to "The Waterer Watered" or "The Sprinkler Sprinkled". I decided against using "The Vanishing Glass, since it didn't have anything to do with that chapter. I might decide to put in a chapter based on the events in "The Vanishing Glass" later.